


To Change It All

by Ptl4ever419



Series: Story Haven [14]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Female Harry, Female Harry Potter, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-21
Updated: 2019-07-21
Packaged: 2020-07-09 17:31:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,813
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19891657
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ptl4ever419/pseuds/Ptl4ever419
Summary: Not many took the time to think of the reasons why eleven-year-olds would be resourceful, cunning, ambitious, determined, clever, have a huge want for self-preservation, or want fraternity more than most. The Sorting Hat did though and knew from experience that most children did not come by those skills naturally. This year was once again one of those years where they wished they could do something about it, but sorting Cassiopeia Potter into the House of Snakes was the biggest help he could give her.





	To Change It All

**Author's Note:**

> So I started this story way back in 2014 but reading another fic where Neville's abuse was talked about made me think about it again. I doubt I'll ever come back to this, but wanted to share regardless. I hope everyone enjoys :D

The traits of Slytherin House were numerous. Resourcefulness, cunning, ambition, determination, leadership, self-preservation, fraternity and cleverness. The most overlooked of all the traits would be that of fraternity, the building of bonds with each other, the fierce loyalty they showed their own. That is where our story starts; right after the 1991 class of Hogwarts heard the Sorting Hat’s song. Where the Hat sang,

"Or perhaps in Slytherin,  
You'll make your real friends,  
Those cunning folk use any means,  
To achieve their ends."

For many different reasons, Slytherin was the choice that the Hat made for a number of unexpected eleven year olds. To see what we mean, let's take a look at look at some of the Slytherin sortings that year.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Davis, Tracey!"

Her name was yelled out by the Deputy Headmistress so Tracey walked carefully up to the stool. She sat down delicately and Professor McGonagal dropped the Sorting Hat on her head. The first thing she noticed was the lack of light brought about by her eyes being covered by the Sorting Hat. The second was the voice in her ear. “Hmmm, not a bad mind I see. Oh, but what’s that a desire to change things and the determination to see it through. Ought to be,”

"SLYTHERIN!"  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Granger, Hermione!"

Hermione walked briskly up to the Sorting Hat and practically shoved it on her head. Hermione almost jumped in fright when she heard a voice talking, “Oh, what’s this? A thirst to prove yourself. A want for knowledge, not just for knowledge’s sake, but to use it to reach your goals. Best of luck in,”

"SLYTHERIN!"  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Greengrass, Daphne!"

Daphne glided up to the stool and sat down primly, as it afraid to wrinkle her robes; the Head of Gryffindor placed the Sorting Hat on her head. Daphne was expecting to hear the Sorting Hat’s voice so didn’t startle as she had seen a few who had come before her do. She was a bit surprised when it wasn’t words she first heard though, but a chuckle, “What ambition I see here and cunning. I wish your housemates luck if they anger you in,”

"SLYTHERIN!"  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Longbottom, Neville!"

Neville walked with his head held high as he approached the Sorting Hat. He was determined. The Sorting Hat voice sounded in his ear, “Such potential I see in you, you’ll do best in,”

"SLYTHERIN!"  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Malfoy, Draco!"

Draco strutted up to the Sorting Hat and sat straight backed on the stool. He would do his mother proud. “I see the loyalty you hold towards you mother, young Malfoy. Such a trait will serve you well in,”

"SLYTHERIN!"  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Nott, Theodore!"

Theo walked confidently up to the stool and let the Sorting Hat fall over his eyes. The Sorting Hat sighed, “You have done much to protect your sister, I see. Best be,”

"SLYTHERIN!"  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Potter, Cassiopeia!"

Cassi walked softly across the floor to reach the stool. When she got there she sat carefully as to not aggravate the going away presents her relatives gifted her with. A voice almost gasped in her ear, making her jump. “Oh child, they will protect you in,”

"SLYTHERIN!"  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Zabini, Blaise!"

Blaise swept up to Sorting Hat, rather bored with the process by now as he was the last one. The voice sounded sad as it said, “The last one I see. Ah! Another who shows such loyalty to their family. I hope you can extend that loyalty to your housemates in,”

"SLYTHERIN!"  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They will change it all was the Sorting Hat's last thought as he was put back on the Headmaster's shelf.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As the sorting ended many were shocked by the results. There were three very unexpected snakes this year: Hermione Granger, Neville Longbottom, and Casiopeia Potter. Slytherin House would adjust just as it always did and make sure the three new snakes were cared for while they were here. 

Severus Snape, the school's Potions Master and Head of Slytherin House had expected the two children of his classmates to go into their parents' houses, but it was only mildly surprising they did not as neither had been raised by their parents. The professor began to think on how to help his first year snakes now that he had a muggleborn, two half-bloods, and heirs to Light families to protect alongside his normal charges.

Someone else who was watching the snaklings closely was Marcus Flint, the Slytherin Quidditch captain, and fifth year male prefect. Most wouldn't think of him as a caring person, but he was fiercely protected of those he thought as his and with him being a prefect this year made all the younger snakes his to protect. He was sitting right next to where the firsties would come sit so he could answer any questions and observe them. Sitting with him was the Quidditch team as they almost always ate as a team. 

So as the hatchlings walked to the snake pit's table he was immediately protective of them, but one seemed to catch his eye the most. The little Potter girl, who looked no more than seven years old at about, if he had to guess from when he had to pick her up to help her over the bench, 15 kg and 120 cm and that was being generous. It wasn't just the size of her that caught his attention, but the way she carried herself. She was obviously in awe of everything around her, her bright green eyes sparkling with a curiosity that almost made him weary of all the trouble she would no doubt find herself in, but at the same time he could tell she was terrified to be here. Not in the snake pit as most would expect, but when others looked at her for too long she seemed to shrink in on herself trying to make herself smaller as if she was trying to disappear. Another thing that caught his notice was her reaction to the food. As she was sitting right next to him he noticed right away she had not placed anything on her plate, but was staring at it with obvious longing. Deciding to take matters into his own hands Marcus began putting small servings of the most filling and healthy foods on his own plate, before swapping plates with her. She looked up at him with those big doe eyes questioningly, "Eat," he said quietly, but firmly. She did so after he said to with manners that would make most pureblood parents weep with jealousy. Cutting the food into tiny pieces and savouring each bite. She ate slowly, but her eyes kept glancing around, like a frightened animal, waiting for someone to snatch the plate away. She quickly looked up at him again as if sensing eyes on her, but looked away almost immediately after catching his small smile. 

The Quidditch team was chatting about the latest professional match, which some of them had been to when they heard her speak first the first time. "What's Quidditch?" Her voice was soft and light, but hesitant as she asked it unsure if she was allowed to ask questions. When she saw all of them staring at her she unconsciously shrunk into the prefect, who told her to eat. Feeling her shrink into him Marcus wanted to wrap her in his arms, but settle for explaining their reactions instead, "Hey, it's alright, we're just shocked that you don't know the sport that's all." She nodded timidly so Marcus continued, "Well, Quidditch is a sport played on brooms, seven to a side. On the field there are three hoops in the air at each end for the Keepers to protect." Marcus nodded to Miles Bletchley as he continued to explain the game. Once the game had been explained and the team introduced Cassi frowned as she asked, "Then why can't first years have brooms?" She looked so disappointed at the revelation she wouldn't be able to play the game that the Quidditch boys were falling over themselves to get her to play with them making her giggle. 

The others in her year had also noticed her strange behaviour, but at the moment they were far more concerned with the two other surprise snakes, the muggleborn and the son of two Light war heroes. The Longbottom Scion was in an intense staring contest with both the Scion of the Most Noble and Ancient House of Nott and the Scion of the Most Ancient House of Malfoy. Cassi noticing the staring contest poked Marcus in the side and whispered to him, "What are they doing?" Marcus seeing their behaviour tried to explain that their families didn't get along, but she just frowned. She then poked the Nott Scion in the side as he was sitting on her other side, "Why are you staring at him?" she asked him innocently.

He turned to look at her frowning, "Because he is a blood traitor." His answer was definitive, as though that was a justified and significant reason.

She turned his answer back on him though, "How do you know?"

But the Nott Scion was not puzzled as it was obvious, "His parents were."

The little ravenette's frown deepened slightly, "That's just silly, I don't remember my parents, but my relatives use to tell me they were drunks; did that make me a drunk too just because I had been told my parents were? I mean have you ever met his parents or have you just been told that they were blood traitors?"

The Nott Scion looked stumped at her questions, but Marcus caught something that the Nott boy had missed. "What do you mean your relatives told you your parents were drunks?" His tone was sharp as he asked, which scared the child who he questioned.

The little girl seemed to shrink in on herself and shake as she realised what she said. “Wha-wha-a-at I-I-I me-me-ean is-is-is, th-tha-at the-the-ey di-di-di-i-n’t li-like ma-magic mu-mu-uch so-so di-di-di-i-n’t te-te-te-ell me-me-me ho-ho-ow my-my-my,” Marcus stopped her before she could continue stuttering any more, already having a pretty clear picture of what was going on.

“Shush, little snake. It’s okay.” Marcus hated the way she seemed to deflate in on herself, but where before he had been unsure why she had been placed in Slytherin now it made sense. Slytherin was the house that most abused children ended up in. Their childhoods forcing them to be resourceful, cunning, clever, and who had the most desire to see themselves protected. Marcus looked up at the head table, looking to see if their Head of House was looking their way. He was. Marcus made deliberate eye contact with him and then dropped his Occlumency barriers momentarily to let the Potions Master see what had just happened. 

Marcus could see when Professor Snape had reached the same conclusion as he had. A trip to the Hospital Wing was in their future.


End file.
